The Coal Measures Amphibia of North AmericaMoodie, Roy Lee
Science
The Coal Measures Amphibia of North America
Moodie, Roy Lee
Amphibians, Fossil -- North America; Paleontology -- Carboniferous; Paleontology -- North America
The pectoral girdle (plate 15, fig. 3) consists, apparently, of seven
elements, three paired and one unpaired. The unpaired element (the
interclavicle) is truncate posteriorly and acuminate in front, with its
surface radially grooved and the anterior borders beveled for articulation
with the clavicles. The clavicles are triangular, as is usual with the
Microsauria. They are sculptured with radiate grooves and ridges, with
decided inosculations at the ossific center. The coracoids have only
part of their surface ornamented; most of their surface is smooth for
articulation with the interclavicle and scapula. A long spine projects
from the inner surface of the coracoid. A pair of small elements lie one
on either side of the clavicles and Jaekel (347) interprets them as the
cleithra. If they are cleithra they are unique among the Microsauria.
The pectoral girdle does not, however, indicate that _Diceratosaurus_ is
"unique among all known quadrupeds."
Jaekel regards the limb which is preserved with the material as an arm
(plate 15, fig. 4), but there is no reason stated for his conclusion. It
has all of the characters of the leg and may be regarded as such. Only
a part of the lower end of the femur is preserved. The tibia and fibula
are preserved as separate rod-like elements with one of the bones longer
and larger, probably the tibia. There are 5 toes which have the customary
phalangeal formula for a microsaurian foot of 2-3-3-4(?)-3. The tarsals
are unossified.
The vertebræ (plate 15) were perforated for the notochord, and are
hour-glass-shaped, with the neural arch thickened to support a heavy
spine which bore a sculptured plate. These apical plates occur in the
dorsal region, but diminish toward the caudal vertebræ. The number of the
vertebræ in the dorsal region is very small and in the tail very large.
There are possibly 2 vertebræ in the cervical, 11 in the dorsal series;
the thirteenth carries the pelvis. There are over 100 vertebræ in the tail.
The ribs have an expanded head and the transverse processes of the
vertebræ are long.
The following account is based on the writer's study of the type specimen
and he is able to add several points of interest to a knowledge of the
anatomy of the type of this interesting microsaurian.
The type specimen consists of 11 consecutive vertebræ with a portion of
the skull, the greater portion of the pectoral girdle, parts of both
fore limbs, ribs, and ventral scutellæ (plate 14, fig. 4). The species
is represented in the collection by yet another specimen, on which Cope
based his _Tuditanus mordax_ (plate 22, fig. 5), of which he himself says:
"Further examination of the specimen on which the latter (_T. mordax_)
was founded leads to the belief that it is an imperfect cranium of
_Ceraterpeton (Diceratosaurus) punctolineatum_ Cope." The plates referred
to are rather to be regarded as elements of the pectoral girdle and I
believe they represent the clavicle and a portion of the interclavicle.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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